"The Link Layer Discovery Protocol or LLDP is a vendor-neutral Layer 2 protocol that allows a network device to advertise its identity and capabilities on the local network. The protocol was formally ratified as IEEE standard 802.1AB-2005 in May 2005." - Wikipedia

What is OpenLLDP?

The OpenLLDP project aims to provide a comprehensive implementation of the IEEE standard 802.1AB Link Layer Discovery Protocol. LLDP is an industry standard protocol designed to supplant proprietary Link-Layer protocols such as Extreme's EDP (Extreme Discovery Protocol) and CDP (Cisco Discovery Protocol). The goal of LLDP is to provide an inter-vendor compatible mechanism to deliver Link-Layer notifications to adjacent network devices. The Open Source implementation of LLDP provided by the OpenLLDP project is intended to help foster wider adoption of LLDP.